


Finding Our Home

by Blaze22



Category: MCSM, Minecraft (Video Game), Minecraft Story Mode
Genre: Alternates POV but not always every other, F/M, I try to develop romance, Jesse and Aiden are dorks, Post-Canon, Teen because a few curse words, We have to get through the redemption process first, after season two, and fail, because there's almost no plot, but not a season three story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2020-02-04 14:37:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18606541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaze22/pseuds/Blaze22
Summary: Aiden returns to Beacontown, hopeful to redeem himself and make a fresh start. Though, with Jesse by his side, a relationship he would have never dreamed of begins to blossom.





	1. Sorry

**Author's Note:**

> I never thought I'd be an Aidesse shipper until AO3 happened, haha. This was inspired by the other few Aidesse fics out there who got me roped into the ship. Hope you all enjoy!

If one word could be used to describe the atmosphere, she would choose awkward. 

More like _extremely_ awkward; the kind that makes a person want to say _something_ , but can’t find the right words, or any at all. 

Jesse exhaled sharply and stuffed her hands in her overall’s pockets. She cast a glance to Aiden and Lukas as they quietly walked down the dirt road leading to Beacontown. She had finally found time after the Admin’s defeat to visit Isa’s world to speak with Aiden in response to his letter, where Lukas tagged along with her. There they greeted Isa, Reginald, and Milo, and, to her relief, they found that the community was thriving. Maya and Gill had decided to remain in that world, for reasons unknown to her. Then, once the time came, the pair departed for Beacontown with Aiden in tow.

Jesse took a moment to study Aiden. He walked several paces behind her and Lukas, where his eyes were cast down, and his feet scuffed the ground. It had been such a long time since she had last seen him, and there were things still familiar and some were not. For example, his attire consisted of a green shirt and jeans, and his eyes were a piercing green. Though, in contrast, his once tall posture sagged, like his confidence was drained, and his usually slick, brown hair was ruffled.

Jesse turned her gaze to Lukas. Every few minutes, the blond glanced conspicuously over his shoulder at Aiden. On their way to Isa's world, she asked his thoughts of Aiden “redeeming himself”(as he put in his letter) and him returning to live in Beacontown. Lukas avoided nearly every curious question, shrugging them off. It was very unlike him, and even more so when he didn’t speak a single word to his former friend in the time they had been together. 

Once the trio entered the city, Jesse steered them to a back road route. She did not feel like attracting the attention of the city’s inhabitants - especially if someone connected the Aiden in Lukas’ popular book to the one by their side. Once they finally reached the Order Hall and stepped into it, she finally broke the silence and said, “This is our stop.” She had already decided and explained to Aiden that he would stay in one of the spare rooms in the Hall, where she also lived, until he built a shelter of his own.

Lukas hesitated. “Jesse, are you sure you want to . . . stay here? Aiden can always stay with me.”

Jesse raised her eyebrows and glanced questionly at him. He returned it with a shrug. Odd. The way he was treating Aiden, he didn’t want to touch him with a ten foot pole. 

Her brown eyes widened once she caught his meaning. She quickly said, “No, it’s fine.”

Aiden bristled beside her. “Stop talking like I’m not here. And seriously, Lukas? Do you have a problem?” He folded his arms over his chest. 

Lukas’ blue gaze bore into him. “You’re kidding me, right?” He laughed humorlessly. “You tried to murder a city and haven’t said a single sorry this whole trip, and you think I’ll leave you alone with Jesse? Funny.”

Aiden scowled and stepped forward. “Maybe if you hadn’t run off to follow Jesse like a lost puppy back then, you could’ve talked some sense into me.”

Lukas opened his mouth to reply, but Jesse pushed between the two before the conversation could take a turn for the worse. “Lukas, Aiden, cut it out. First of all, I can take care of myself if anything did happen - which it won’t.” She glared at Lukas, whose eyes darted away from hers. “Secondly, it’s been a long day. Lukas, you can head home.”

“Fine,” he flatly said and backed up. “I’ll see you around, Jesse.”

“See you.” 

Jesse waited until he was gone, and she turned to Aiden. “All right!” she said, a bit too brightly. “I’ll show you around, and then you can let me know if you need anything.” 

“Jesse, wait.”

She paused and turned to face him. “Yeah?” 

“I’m . . . sorry.” He looked at the ground, unable to meet her eyes. “For everything. For Sky City, for the teasing, for . . .” He ran his fingers through his hair, and his shoulders slumped. “I don’t even know why you came back for me.”

“Aiden,” she said, and he glanced up, tears glimmering from beneath his short eyelashes. “I forgive you. It’s okay, and it’s in the past.”

He shook his head and ran a hand over his face. “No! There’s no way in hell that you can forgive me. I-” he stopped, seeming to choke. 

Jesse’s features softened. “Aiden, look at me.”

Aiden ducked his head lower and covered his face with his arm as he furiously wiped at his cheeks. 

“Look - I’ve forgiven people who’ve done much worse things than you did.” She sighed. “When I say I forgive someone, I _mean_ it. So do believe me when I say it’s okay.” 

Aiden dropped his arm and his tear-stained face scrunched, like he was ready to start crying again. “Really?” he whispered. 

Jesse felt a piece of her heart break at the raw sight. “Really.”

She stepped forward; she had never wanted to pull someone into a hug more than at that moment. But she didn’t - not after their past was just cleared, as that was a line she was hesitant to cross.

Instead, she said, “C’mon. I’ll show you to your room.” To lighten the mood, she added with a smile, “I think you’ll like it. I picked one with green walls, and you’re far enough down the hall from me so you won’t have to hear my snoring.”

That elicited a soft chuckle from him. As they began to walk, she heard a statement so soft, she thought she had imagined it.

“Thank you.”


	2. Morning

Mornings were Aiden’s favorite time of day. Today was no exception. 

Dawn was when he could relax in the warm, silent bath the sunrise brought. There he pretended that the fresh, blood red rays could bring the promise of washing away his sins and the arrival of a new day.

But, the few, sweet minutes lasted only so long.

Once the sun fully broke over the horizon, Aiden’s regrets plunged straight back into him like a sharp sword. They tore and twisted and wrenched away at his insides, until all he could do was close his eyes and wish the past away.

That was what brought him to watching the shadows dance behind his eyelids, with a notebook perched in his lap and a pen that twirled between his fingertips. He sat with his legs folded on a plush couch inside of Jesse’s, what he presumed to be, living room. 

Her living space was impressive. Jesse told him that the Admin had built it atop of the Order Hall during his reign, and she renovated and now occupied the space closest to the ground, where she previously lived. But, even with the grandeur of the large corridors, a touch of loneliness echoed. 

A soft cough broke Aiden out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Jesse, who wore shorts and a shirt considerably larger than her thin frame. Her brown hair was mussed, giving her the appearance of having just risen from bed.

Aiden straightened, light pink dusting his cheeks. A soft frown curved onto his lips as he caught sight of the exhausting shade of dark beneath her eyes. 

_Exactly how many hours of sleep did she lose over my cruel words when we were younger?_

“Good morning,” he quietly said. “Sorry, you probably just woke up, and I can just go back to my room-”

Jesse waved his rambling off with her hand. “Morning,” she rasped, then cleared her throat and added, “You’re fine.” She disappeared around the corner as she entered the kitchen, where the sound of clanking began.

Aiden sat, frozen. If he was self-conscious about intruding on Jesse’s personal life before, the feeling had only increased tenfold at that moment. 

Jesse reappeared and padded across the carpet, a coffee mug in hand. She sat on the opposite side of the couch and said with a yawn, “I woke up late.” She took a gulp of the steaming liquid. “By the way, Radar’ll be here in a bit. He’s my work partner, and you probably won’t see me around until we’re finished for the day, when it’s evening. So if you need anything, just ask now.” 

“I think I’ll be fine, thanks.” His plan for the day was simple: he would enter town and possibly visit the forest later to find what he could add to his inventory; he didn’t plan on riding on Jesse’s generosity for long. Plus, the large windows lining the wall featured a pleasant day balancing on the edge of summer and autumn that he wanted to take advantage of.

“What’re you working on?” Jesse asked. 

“Oh, this?” He looked down at his notebook, where the page bore scrawls of ink. “Just some writing.”

She scooted closer, peering at it. “What type of book is it?”

Aiden shifted. “Horror. Maybe a little mystery.” 

Her mouth formed a small ‘o’. “Cool! Y’know, Lukas has published a book,” she paused and motioned to a book with a colorful cover that sat on the coffee table, “And he’s working on another one right now. I think it’s mostly adventure, though. Maybe you two could help each other out.”

Aiden remained silent. His brows furrowed, and he began to twirl the pen between his fingers. 

“Oh.” Jesse’s bright expression fell. “Right. Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around.”

Aiden scoffed and looked up, cocking an eyebrow. “Really? Lukas hates me, and I deserve it. Even if I try to say sorry to him, he’ll laugh in my face - like you should be doing.”

She shook her head furiously, causing her ratty brown hair to poof out further(if it was even possible at that point). “He doesn’t _hate_ you. And no, I shouldn’t. We had this discussion last night.” She leveled him with a stare. He squirmed beneath the intensity of it. “I’ll talk to him,” Jesse said. “And then you can, too.” She took another swig of her coffee. 

Aiden slowly nodded, letting the pen’s movement still. Jesse rose to her feet and tilted her head to both sides, which set off a series of small cracks. “I need to get ready for work. See you around!” 

“Bye.”

As she left, she seemed to bear three times the amount of energy more than when she entered the room. He watched, a touch impressed. Once she was gone, Aiden glanced at the coffee table. After a moment of hesitation, he got up and picked up a book, weighing the smooth texture in his hands. Lines creased on his forehead as he stared at it, and he finally flipped it to the first page. 

If he was curious about what adventures the Order had completed, there was no better way to quench that than to read it for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just so giddy for this series, because I have so many fluffy things planned out, and I can't wait to write them. :D


	3. Believe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not too clear, but this takes place the evening of the same day as chapter two. Sorry about that!

Jesse waved goodbye to Radar as he walked back into Beacontown, down the main road, and she sighed, relieved to have finally finished the long day of work. She glanced up. The sun was on its idle, fiery descent to the horizon line. Then something caught her eye. 

Or, rather, someone. 

A light blue shirt flashed against a tree trunk just outside of Becaontown’s front gate. Aiden. 

Jesse walked to him, and her feet scuffled against the ground before she stilled. “Hey, Aiden.”

He looked up. His eyes were rimmed with a puffy red. A book lay open in his lap, where his legs were criss-crossed. “Hey,” he said softly. 

“What’re you up to?” she asked.

Aiden stiffened and stared down at the open pages. One fluttered up from the breeze and he smoothed it down. “Reading.” He leaned back against the trunk, pressing his eyes shut and his fingertips to the smooth ink. 

Jesse blinked. Right - Lukas’ book. She could recognize that snippet of their past anywhere. She sat down on the grass in front of him and said, “I hope you know that some of that stuff is a bit over exaggerated.” She paused as she folded her legs beneath her. “All right, maybe a lot.”

Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled sharply. “Right. But you know what’s not exaggerated?” His green eyes finally opened, snapping to her, into her. She fell quiet. 

“The damned fact that I tried to kill you. And Lukas. And _everyone_ in my path to get what I wanted.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. 

“I bet you wanna know why I hated you, huh?” Aiden asked. 

Jesse’s eyebrows rose. 

He began to fumble, for grass and for words. His fingers tore several green blades from the ground and twisted them together. “Oh geez. I didn’t mean hate . . . like, um-” 

She cut him off with a small, sad smile. “You hated me.” It was true. Deep in her gut churned a curiosity of why he hated her; why he singled out and teased her and her friends; why he made a pit of dread pool in their stomachs whenever they caught sight of a black, leather jacket. 

He smiled too, though there was no humor behind it. “First off, I was a real ass back then. Honestly, I don’t have an excuse for it - it just was too easy and satisfying.” A piece of grass ripped in half and floated to land on his calf. “Then I was so blinded by _everything_ when you became heroes. I guess I was just used to getting my way and what I wanted - which I loved. When that started to not happen, I blamed you . . . and you already know I’m sorry.”

Jesse nodded. The conversation(though it was mostly one-sided so far) and the way it had headed was not what she had been expecting, though it sounded like Aiden was simply speaking, pouring his thoughts into words - perhaps for the first time ever. 

“I had a lot of time to think back in Sky City once you guys left. And I actually do want to change.” He hesitated and looked over his shoulder at Beacontown. “But I’ll have to prove myself, won’t I?” he asked.

The question seemed rhetorical, but Jesse answered it. “Yes, you will.”

Aiden sighed. “I’m thinking about helping out with the reconstruction of some homes that were destroyed by the Admin, starting tomorrow.”

“Good,” she said, a corner of her mouth lifting. It was a positive sign that he was taking initiative. 

He looked at her, and she slightly raised an eyebrow. He was studying her, which, to her surprise, she found slightly unnerving. 

“You know I don’t deserve what you’re giving me, right?” Aiden asked, tiredness seeping through the words and his eyes. 

Jesse shook her head. “Even if you don’t, you’re going to get this chance.” She reached for his hand that rested on his knee and slowly intertwined her fingers into his. He looked down in surprise as she said, “I think you just need someone -- a friend -- to believe in you.” She gently squeezed his hand.

Aiden didn’t respond except for the smallest of squeezes back. They sat like that for a minute, their eyes following the soaring sound of rustling grass and chirping birds. 

“Seriously, thank you, Jesse,” he finally said. “I won’t let you down.”


	4. Flowers

“This is about Aiden, isn’t it?”

Jesse froze for the briefest of moments at Lukas’ question. She swirled the glass in her hand and studied the water’s ripples. 

The two of them sat in Lukas’ living room. She had visited him that afternoon, where they exchanged pleasantries until he hung the question in the air, blue eyes piercing her. 

Jesse nodded. 

Lukas sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Jesse, you-”

She looked up and cut him off. “I know you don’t agree with what I’m doing, but I really think he wants to change. Every person needs a chance for forgiveness.” 

He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, a lock of blond hair falling forward. “I can tell you’re convinced he does,” he began slowly. “And I’m not completely against him being back. It’s just . . .” he trailed off and shook his head. 

Jesse frowned. “What?” she asked. 

He looked up, expressionless. “I’m afraid of getting hurt again. Both of us.” 

She leaned and set her glass down on the coffee table, then crossed a leg over the other. So this was what this was about. Before she could reply, Lukas spoke again, distantly staring out the window. 

“You’re too trusting. You know that, right?” 

She slightly raised her eyebrows. “Lukas, I’m not naive, nor a child.”

Lines creased on his forehead. “Well, it seems to me that you’re letting your ex-bully and a near-murderer live underneath _your_ roof. And giving him resources. And just about _everything_ he shouldn’t deserve.”

Jesse exhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I _said_ , I’m not a child. Just like I told you before, I can take care of myself.” She tapped her fingers on the armrest. “If it eases your mind at all, I’m sleeping with my sword right next to me.” Speaking those heavy words into existence made her shoulders sag. The sword was a precaution she had chosen to take, but the mere imagination of waking up to green eyes and the threat of death hovering above her made her cringe. How she longed for the day to never worry of that again - which she hoped to be soon. 

It was silent, besides a soft “oh” from him. Jesse said, “Anyways, I just wanted to ask you to please give Aiden a chance. Don’t shut him out completely until it’s too late.”

Lukas looked up, lips pursing. “I’ll think about it - but I’m not making any promises.”

•

Aiden’s eyes swept over the fresh purple, potted flowers neatly lining the ground near the steps. He turned, took a deep breath, then knocked on the oak door. 

After a moment and some scuffling, it swung open. Lukas was in the midst of a “hello” when he finally registered who stood before him. He deadpanned. “Oh. It’s you.”

Aiden shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, hey.” He fell quiet, then silently cursed himself. 

_What was I going to say again? You rehearsed this, damn it - pull it together._

Lukas beat him to the punch. “What do you want?” The question was a tired sigh, and he crossed his arms against his chest. 

Aiden’s thumb tapped against the side of his forefinger. “Look, I just came to-”

“Apologize? Yeah, I figured.” 

The brown-haired man scowled. “Yeah, actually, I did want to. Do.” 

Silence tumbled between the former best friends. 

“I’m sorry. Seriously, I am,” Aiden said and watched Lukas lean against the doorframe, posture slouched. 

Lukas cocked an eyebrow. “I bet all this groveling at our feet just eats you up, huh?”

Aiden froze. 

His muscles seemed to lock, suspending his heartbeat. After an eternal second, it released, sending his heart wildly hammering against his ribcage. 

His fingers curled into a fist as his eyes shut. God, how he wanted to punch _something_ , to make another experience his anger and frustration and hurt from the statement that rung such truth. 

Instead, Aiden exhaled. Emptied his lungs. 

Filled them again. 

Opened his eyes. “I didn’t want to take much of your time.”

The words (thankfully) came calmer than he expected .

“But I was the one who brought those flowers by yesterday. I hope you like them,” Aiden said, then turned on his heels and walked away, hands shoved into his pockets and head down. 

What he didn’t get to see was the slight widening of Lukas’ eyes as he looked from the purple flowers, to Aiden, then back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry there's not a hint of Aidesse in this one, I'm itching to get to it, but this was n e c e s s a r y, aaa.


	5. Footsies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news, bad(ish) news!  
> (just a quick life update)
> 
> Good news: Summer break is here for me, woohoo! :)  
> Bad news: Within the next six weeks I'll be away from home for three of them for various reasons. If a slow update in the future comes your way, that's why.  
> And have a lovely summer! <3

Aiden squinted at the blaring noon sun, wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, and looked down at the booths lining Beacontown’s main street. Pocketing the bag of apples in his inventory, he hesitated as he decided where to head to next.

He had come to the street to purchase items, primarily food(Jesse’s kitchen, however modernly impressive, was about as empty as his pockets had been when he first arrived in Beacontown a week ago - which was pretty sparse).

The decision he’d been pondering was quickly made for him.

“Hey, Aiden!” 

Aiden twisted his head to identify who called his name. His eyes widened when he saw Jesse strolling down the street and waving. The people surrounding her stopped and began to watch her, starstruck at the sight of their hero. 

“Uh, hey,” he said. He folded his hands together, mindful and uneasy with the number of eyes trained on them. 

She halted in front of him. “Are you busy?” she asked. 

“No. Why, is something wrong?” Aiden frowned.

“Okay, no, and c’mon!” Jesse motioned for him to follow and began to stride away. With no other option than to oblige, Aiden stumbled in his hurry to keep in step with the purposeful brunette. Once he was finally by her side, he asked, “Wait, what’s up? Where are we going?”

Jesse looked up at him. “I’m on my lunch break. Have you been to any of the restaurants here yet?” 

He slowly shook his head. She decisively nodded once and took a sharp turn to her right. “Well, it would be rude of me to not show off all that Beacontown has to offer, so here we are!” Aiden, once again, hurried to catch up with her quick pace. Before he could ask where they were specifically going, they look a left. The buildings around them had taken on a different, darker sort of aura than the rest of the city had - he hadn’t been here yet. 

“Where are we anyways?” he asked. 

“It’s a part of our city that’s not visited much. And,” she dragged out the word as she stopped in front of a door. Above it, a sign read, “Neil’s Nook”. She pushed open the door, a bell tinkling. “This place is _amazing_.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled, brown eyes twinkling. “So I thought you’d like it!” 

He stepped in. Warm, golden lighting brought by the large, tinted windows flooded the space and bathed the wooden furnishings. A pleasant scent wreathed the air, sending his stomach rumbling. There were only a few people inside, and none of them paid the pair any attention. 

Aiden returned her smile with a small one of his own. “I guess I am pretty hungry. Thanks.”

“What do you want?” she asked. “They just take your order up here.” 

Aiden shrugged. “I’m not a picky eater. Whatever you like here, I guess.”

A short statured, older man came out from the back. “Jesse!” A sparkling smile from crooked teeth punctuated the warm greeting. “What can I get for you today?” 

She ordered ‘the usual’, which, by the time they settled in a booth and steaming plates were placed before them, he found to be a hearty serving of macaroni and cheese and a piece of garlic bread on the side. Jesse had a cup of coffee(another one? Looking at her chipper aura, he guessed she was already running on a large amount of caffeine for the day), where he had a glass of water. If his mouth wasn’t watering from the sight yet, the scent made sure of it; he hadn’t had a home-cooked type of meal in what felt like years. 

“How’d it go with Lukas?” she asked, then scooped a bite into her mouth. Aiden looked up from his own food, eyebrows raising. Jesse had visited Lukas two days ago, whereas he visited him yesterday. 

“Uh.” He pursed his lips. “It could’ve definitely gone better.” He looked out the window, studying one of the potted plants waving on the windowsill as he chewed.

Jesse frowned. “Oh. You guys didn’t actually get into a fight, did you?” 

He quickly shook his head and glanced back at her. “No, no, nothing like that. I’d rather just not talk about it.” 

“Right.” Jesse sighed and straightened. “Sorry to kill the mood. So how do you like your food?” 

“It’s great!” Aiden gave a smile, relieved to have switched subjects. “I’m guessing macaroni and cheese is your favorite food?” 

“Mhm,” she hummed through another mouthful of pasta. She smiled at him without showing any teeth, a bit of cheese smeared on her chin. He chuckled at the sight(it reminded him of a squirrel), which, in turn, sent a giggle through her. 

Jesse swallowed and gasped for air, wiping at her chin to clean it. “Hey, no fair! I,” she laughed and tried again, “I laugh when other people laugh. For no reason.” She leveled a glare at him. “And I could’ve choked.” 

“Not my fault you looked funny,” he said, shrugging with a crooked grin.

She put a hand to her heart, eyes widening in mock offense. “Watch who you’re saying looks funny, mister.” Beneath the table, she poked his shin with her foot. “These legs seem like a mighty fine target to me.” 

Aiden snorted. “Oh really?” He stretched out his leg and bumped her foot with his. There was a bump back. His smile stretched wider as her eyes narrowed playfully at him, and they began to (gently)kick each other alternatively. 

That lasted for a silent moment longer, only broken by their snickers. Aiden eventually snuck a peek under the table, trying to gauge his next ‘attack’. When he looked up, Jesse was chewing something. Triumphantly. 

Then he saw half of his garlic bread was torn off and gone.

“Are you serious?” Aiden deadpanned, their feet both stilling. “I wanted that!” 

Jesse shrugged, swallowed, and gave a cocky grin. “I warned you - you snooze you loose!”

He groaned loudly in response, the smile inching back to his face. Maybe he could exact revenge later. Silence fell between the pair as they continued to eat. 

A moment later, Aiden couldn’t ignore the question nagging in the back of his mind. He leaned his fork against his plate. “Jesse, why did you ask me to lunch?”

She looked up from her food and hesitated, then smiled. “Because I saw this guy on the street and thought - hey, we live under the same roof now. I guess I oughta get to know him, huh?” 

They both laughed, but after it died off he tilted his head to the side and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m actually curious though. You don’t need to go out of your way for me more than you already have.” Or at all, for that matter. 

At that, Jesse shrugged, a sheepish smile curling onto her lips. Finally, she said, “Radar’s sick today, so I didn’t have anyone to spend my lunch break with.”

It took him a moment to recall who Radar was - right, her work partner. Once he did, he smirked and barked out a laugh. “So you’re saying you were _lonely_?” he asked. 

A silence immediately blanketed over them. 

Aiden stared at Jesse as she stared back, a pink blossoming on her cheeks. 

“Oh my God,” he said. “I should _not_ have said that. I just thought with you being the leader and having so many friends and-”

_Shut the hell up already, idiot._

His mouth snapped shut, and he focused on his water glass, shoulders hunching forward. Maybe by the time he finished counting the water droplets cutting streams down it a six foot hole would open up in the ground and swallow him whole. 

Jesse broke the long silence with a small chuckle. “Chillax, I’m not going to smite you to the Flatlands for saying that.” 

He looked up, and there was the tiniest of smiles on her lips. She began to fiddle with a piece of her hair. 

“You’re right. . . I guess I was lonely.” She looked around, avoiding his gaze. “Being the most known or admired person somewhere does nothing to fill the hole that is meant to be filled by real friendships.” Jesse met his gaze, quickly correcting herself. “But I’m not saying I don’t have wonderful people in my life. I do, and I love them all to death.” Her smile widened, and she leaned back as she said, “I’m not making much sense, am I? That sounded a lot more connected in my head.”

Aiden shook his head, relief flowing through his limbs and relaxing him ever so slightly. If he wasn’t mistaken, she meant those words for him as well - judging by the way she was sympathetically watching him.

Jesse sat forward. “Let’s just drop it,” she said. Aiden nodded in agreement, exhaling softly. 

“So . . .” She rested her chin on her hand. “Wanna play rock-paper-scissors for that last piece of your garlic bread?”


	6. Picnic

Jesse sighed heavily as she traipsed into her living room, feet and shoulders heavy from a long day of work. She paused; a fluttering white piece of paper stuck on the coffee table caught her attention.

She crossed the room and picked it up. In messy handwriting, it read: “Meet me at the tree outside the gate when you get back. -Aiden”

She frowned. That was unclear, but she was intrigued. With a shrug, she pocketed it and left the temple.

As she approached the same tree where she had conversed with Aiden a week before, she was met with the sight of a picnic blanket and Aiden leaning against the tree’s trunk. He took a step forward as she arrived. 

“What’s all this?” she asked.

Aiden grinned and motioned for her to sit down, and he followed. “Just a little thank you. You’ve been keeping me under your roof, so I thought a bit of payback would be good.”

“Oh, Aiden, you know I-”

He held his hand up to stop her and shook his head. “I know you’ll say I don’t owe you anything, but in reality I owe you everything. So just let me do this?”

Jesse shrugged. “If you insist.”

He opened the picnic basket resting between them. Inside was an abundance of food. He pulled out two sandwiches, handed one to Jesse, and, with a thanks from her, they began to eat. 

Aiden stretched his legs out and tilted his head back as he chewed, letting the sun soak his skin. Watching him, Jesse thought he looked much better than when he had first arrived. His brown hair was slicked back, his shoulders weren’t slumped, and his confidence seemed to have reappeared. 

“What’ve you been up to recently?” she asked. Aside from the lunch they’d had a few days ago, they hadn’t seen each other around much(despite living in the same house). 

Aiden continued to watch the sky. “I’ve been helping out with those homes and shops getting rebuilt,” he said. 

“Nice. How’s that coming along?”

“Pretty good.” He looked at her and grinned. “I gotta say, they love having my muscles around.” He flexed one arm. 

Jesse chuckled and shook her head. “You’re full of it. And nowhere close to me.” She raised her eyebrows challengingly.

“Pff, as if.” Aiden took another bite of his sandwich, then piped up once he swallowed. “Oh yeah, I was going to tell you. I’ve been working on my house too, and I’m planning on moving out a week from now.”

The thought of the Temple becoming empty again made her heart sink. That was quicker than she would’ve thought, but she supposed the determination to stop relying on her shelter was his motivation. “Really? Where at?”

“It’s just outside of Beacontown, kind of like Lukas’.” He waved in the general direction. “Not near his, though.”

Jesse nodded, brows furrowing slightly. She was still curious about what had happened between Lukas and Aiden, but it didn’t seem she’d be hearing about it from Aiden. 

They then ate in silence, though not uncomfortably, for a couple of minutes. Aiden broke it. 

“Jesse, you’ve changed a lot, haven’t you?”

The question was more rhetorical than anything. He glanced at her and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean changed in a bad way. I mean it in a good kind of way, you know? I don’t know.” He seemed to stumble over the words, which sent a giggle through her. 

“I get it. No harm done.” Jesse shrugged after thinking. “I could say the same thing about you. But, yeah, I have. You’ve read the book, so you know I’ve seen more than I’d ever like to see.”

“Mhm,” he hummed. “And then the Admin and all that.”

Her shoulders sagged slightly. That ‘adventure’ was one that left her more worn than any before. 

Aiden looked at her again after chewing on a grape. “Are you all right?” he asked. 

Jesse shifted. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you always look really tired. Is it your work?”

She smiled, barely. “I didn’t know it was that obvious. I guess so.”

He frowned. “Don’t you ever take a day off?”

She shrugged. “Not often.” When his eyebrows rose, she added, “When you run a city, things pile up if you do. But Radar’s a huge help. We get by.”

He nodded, and Jesse continued to eat, settling further onto the blanket. She said, “We should hang out like this more once you move out, y’know?”

Aiden froze for a beat. “Really?” he said. “I mean, sure, yeah. I’d love to.”

She smiled. “Cool.” Over the past couple of weeks, she’d found that his company was enjoyable, more so than she’d imagined. 

“You got something on your face,” Aiden said. She reached up, but paused as he raised a finger to signal ‘wait’. He leaned forward, balancing on one hand and his other reaching torwards her face. In one, quick motion, he wiped her cheek with his thumb and leaned back. Mayonnaise coated his finger, and he rubbed it off in the grass. 

Warmth climbed to Jesse’s cheeks. “Thanks,” she said. 

“Mhm.”

They finished eating. With a contented sigh, Jesse stretched out on her back and rested her hands behind her head, elbows spread out. The sun was dipping down, but there was still time for the cool evening to be enjoyed before monsters began spawning. 

“That one looks like a bunny.” Jesse pointed up at the floating, white clouds decorating the blue backdrop. Aiden soon joined her on his back, food and trash pushed to the side. 

“I see a wolf,” he said and pointed. She tilted her head to look at him and scoffed teasingly. “Are you crazy? That’s my bunny.”

He defensively raised his hands with a chuckle. “Okay, okay, you win. It’s a bunny.” He lifted his gaze back to the sky. 

And so their evening concluded with a sinking sun, cloud watching, and smiling, mayonnaise-less cheeks.


	7. Boyfriend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait to post this, but I figured I'd put it out now since yesterday's update took a while, and because I had quite a bit of fun with this one and I honestly can't wait. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Warning: Contains alcohol consumption

Jesse was lounging on the couch in her living room, then opened her eyes as she heard the door open. 

_Finally._

She sprung up and intercepted Aiden as he entered. Surprised, he halted in his tracks and looked down at her. 

“Aiden, tonight we are going to a bar.”

Jesse placed both hands on her hips at her announcement, smiling and tilting her head.

His eyes widened. “Okay,” he dragged the word out. “And exactly why might we do that?”

“Because it’s fun, and I haven’t gotten to do it in a while, _and_ there’s no one to go with me.” Her smile grew. 

Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. “What about Lukas?”

“Nah, he’s no fun when we drink. C’mon, let’s go.” Jesse reached down and grabbed his hand, then began to pull him with her as she walked away. 

“Whoa, whoa, fine, I’ll go.” She could hear a smile in his words. They walked through the darkening town, which was dimly lit by streetlights. Jesse approached the bar, on the same street where she’d shown Aiden the diner. The people there generally didn’t bother the Order members.

They stepped in. Throbbing music, pulsing lights, and a small crowd of people suffocated the room. Jesse took ahold of his hand again and dragged him through the crowd until they finally came upon empty seats. They relaxed into them, ordering their separate drinks.

“I didn’t know that goody two-shoes had it in her to be here!” Aiden said, leaning forward to speak over the noise. 

Jesse grinned. “Aw, c’mon, you don’t give me enough credit.”

He put his elbows on his knees. “I have to say, this is nice. Haven’t done this in a long time.” He took his drink from the waiter, as she did too. 

About two to three drinks later for the both of them(placed on her tab, even though Aiden protested), Jesse stood up. “I need to go to the bathroom. When I get back, want to dance?”

Aiden shrugged. “Sure.”

She weaved her way through the people, the burning taste of liquor still fresh on her throat and tongue. The hairs on the back of her neck rose; it felt like she was being watched, but she shook it off. She exited the restroom a moment later and, with not even ten steps taken, someone stepped into her path. She startled and paused as a man, stocky and tall in build, towered over her. 

“Well, well, well, who do we have here?” he asked and leaned forward. Jesse flinched away from the whiskey and smoke scent harshly reeking from his breath. A light nearby lit his smooth, angular features; he was young and coarse in appearance. “If it isn’t our little hero.”

Taking a deep breath, she straightened. “What do you want?” Jesse asked, taking a step back to create space between them. 

He took a step forward and sneered. “Oh, nothin’ really. Just thought I’d introduce myself to ya. Anyways, what’s a pretty girl like you doin’ all alone here, hm?” He reached forward and tilted her chin up with one finger. 

Trembling in anger, Jesse’s hand shot out to grip his wrist, but paused midmotion at a familiar voice. 

“What’s going on?”

Both of their hands dropped, and she turned. Aiden. 

Aiden sidled up beside her. She turned her face torwards him, rolled her eyes in exasperation, and mouthed “get me out of this”. What she didn’t expect was a quick wink and the words “I got this” mouthed back.

“Who are you?” the man asked, chest puffing and eyes flaring.

Jesse felt Aiden’s arm snake around her waist and pull her close to his left side. “Her boyfriend,“ he said smoothly, if not somewhat slurred. “And who might _you_ be?”

Her head snapped to her friend, mouth threatening to drop open. Forcing herself to relax, she looked back at the man and smiled sweetly. Cheeks hot, she fumbled to wrap her arm around Aiden’s shoulders.

“This scrawny thing?” He guffawed in reply. Aiden stiffened and opened his mouth to retort, but the man beat him to it. “What a hoot.” His beady eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare. After a thick moment of hesitation, he said, “See ya around.” And left. 

Jesse and Aiden broke into laughter and stepped apart from each other. “Did you see his face?” Jesse said. Aiden snorted and said, “Shoulda seen yours. I thought you were gonna slap me across the room.”

She shook her head humorously. Aiden continued. “Also, sorry if you didn’t want me stepping in. I know you can take care of yourself, but I came to see what was taking so long, and I didn’t like the looks of him.”

She shrugged. Aiden was right; she was more than prepared to kick the man’s crotch and give him a piece of her mind, then make leave before she was tempted to cause further damage. “I like your way better. Less violence,” she said. “So thanks.”

He raised his eyebrows teasingly. “What, you like being my girlfriend?“ 

“Oh, shut up.” Jesse lightly punched his shoulder. “You’re seriously too full of it.” 

Aiden flashed her a huge smirk and continued. “I mean, I could make an exception for one night, y’know?”

She grinned. “Nice try. Now let’s go. You promised me a dance.” She grabbed his clammy hand and pulled him to the makeshift dance floor, ignoring his “I’ll only dance if I’m your boyfriend” comments. He’d had too much to drink. 

As an hour or two passed by, and in it they shared the sway of bodies, sweat-beaded skin, and the pleasant buzz of alcohol. Jesse reveled in letting her cares wash away, if just for one night. 

Finally, they exited the bar. It was a cool, cloudless night, signaling the start of autumn. Aiden looped his hands around Jesse’s neck as they walked, forcing her to practically drag him along. 

“Jesseeeee.”

“What?”

“Gimme a piggyback ride.”

She turned her head and smirked. “You’re really drunk right now.” Not to say she wasn’t, either(but probably not as much as him). 

“No I’m not. You’re just blurry.”

Jesse giggled and paused in the street. “Okay. You better not be heavy, that’s all I can say.”

“But you’re super strong. I know you can.”

“We’ll see.”

And so Aiden attempted to hop on her back. Key word: attempted. Jesse’s knees were quick to buckle because of his tall frame, leaving him to slide off ungracefully. When she turned around, he was sitting on the pavement with a pout. 

She began to laugh, but put a hand over her mouth to stifle it, remembering that they were in the middle of town in the middle of the night. Aiden seemed to purposefully suppress his laughter as he got up with the help of her hand, still pouting. 

“If you’re so set on this, just give me a piggyback ride,” Jesse said, smiling. He shrugged and said, “Get on.”

This time, roles reversed, they were successful. With Aiden’s hands on Jesse’s legs and her arms clasped around his neck, they set off. What a sight they must have been, if anyone was awake in the sleepy town to see it.

“You’re heavy,” he said, a whine rising in his tone.

“No I’m not.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s muscle, if you must know.”

“Whatever.” Aiden turned his head; the moonlight accentuated his strong features and paled his green eyes. Jesse was just beginning to see how handsome he was, in a ruggish sort of way. 

Her musings were interrupted when he asked, “How is it, not being short for once?”

Jesse playfully swatted the top of his head, then looked around. The quiet city was bathed in moonlight, and she found she was closer to the twinkling stars above. “Great.” She frowned. “But I’m not short.”

He snorted and looked forward. “Yes you are.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are.”

The soft banter continued as they entered the temple. Aiden shifted her weight on his back and broke their arguing streak. “If you don’t agree you’re short, I’m gonna dump you off.”

She strained to hear the strung together words, but got the gist of it and squealed in protest. “Fine, I’m short! Happy?”

“Very.”

Jesse hummed and brushed one hand over the top of his head, feeling his smooth brown locks pass through her fingers. “Your hair is soft,” she said absentmindedly. He didn’t reply. 

They were already(to Jesse’s surprise) in the living room, where they’d started. With a warning, she slipped off of his back. A bout of dizziness swept over her, and she stumbled to a singular, plush chair and sat down. Aiden followed suit and collapsed on the couch. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Aiden. Night.” She yawned. 

“Bright and early,” he murmured, resting his head on the armrest. 

She didn’t feel like making the effort to go to bed, and he apparently didn’t either. 

Here, with him, was just fine.


	8. Wounds

Aiden’s eyes fluttered open. Reluctantly. 

He squinted, unable to make out his blurry, bright surroundings. “Maya?” he whispered, struggling to prop himself up and clear his vision. 

Then it all came flooding back. Beacontown. Jesse. Last night. A splitting headache. 

His head fell back against the pillow with a groan, eyes screwing shut in resistance to the morning light flooding through the large windows, into the living room, and directly on the couch he laid on. 

He shifted, feeling a soft material move with him. When did a pillow get there? And the blanket?

“Morning sleeping beauty,” Jesse said across the room, singsong like.

Well, that answered that. 

Aiden lifted his head up so he could grab at the pillow and cover his face with it, ignoring the nausea bubbling in his gut. 

“I hate myself,” he declared, muffled by the cloth. 

He heard Jesse snicker. Deciding he couldn’t tune out his gurgling stomach any longer, he pushed himself up and flung his feet to the floor. On the way to the bathroom down the hall, he spotted Jesse busying herself in the kitchen. Just before he closed the bathroom door, she called out, “The water and medicine on the counter is for you.”

Too weak to manage a thanks, Aiden hurried to the toilet. And proceeded to vomit. 

About twenty minutes later, he had managed to take a quick shower, gulp down the pills, and change his clothes. He emerged into the main space, feeling fresher(yet still woozy and with a small, thudding headache), which was good - he had promised to work with the reconstruction group that morning. 

He entered the kitchen, where he found Jesse leaning against a counter and sipping water. She was dressed in her usual overalls, and her combed, brown hair cascaded down her shoulders; the only remnant of the night before were darkened bags beneath her eyes. 

“Thanks for the medicine,” he said and grabbed an apple from a basket of fruit he’d put together, tossing it from hand to hand. “I owe you.”

He kept his gaze trained on the shiny red fruit. The night before had been interesting, to say the least. His actions hadn’t been _too_ extreme, from what he remembered. At least he hoped. And who knew what Jesse thought. 

“Yeah you do.” Aiden could practically _hear_ the smirk in Jesse’s voice. “ _Boyfriend_.”

He groaned and took a bite of the apple, breaking the crisp skin. He glanced up to see Jesse’s brow arched as she watched him. She chuckled and stood straight, then gulped down the rest of her water. Aiden opened his mouth to respond, but paused when she looked down and a frown curved on her lips.

“What happened to your leg?” she asked. 

He glanced down. His shin sported a shallow cut about an inch long, and it oozed a glassy red liquid. There had been a dark, messy scab covering it before he’d taken the shower, but the water had washed it off. “Ah, that. I think I scraped it last night, but it’s not deep. I was going to ask if you have any bandages?” Aiden said. He didn’t want it to become infected.

She nodded, whisking by him. “Stay right here.”

A moment later, Jesse came back with antiseptic cream and a bandage in hand. Instead of handing them over, she said, “Sit down.”

Lines creased on his forehead. “What?”

“Sit down! I’ll fix it.”

“It’s not that big of deal. It’s just stinging a bit, and . . .”

Aiden trailed off as her brown eyes widened, giving her the appearance of a puppy. His heart clenched a little at the sight. He cleared his throat and relented, saying, “All right.”

Finally, after a bit of situation, the pair positioned themselves, with Aiden perched on a stool and foot propped on a chair. Jesse sat in another chair beside his leg, leaning over to observe it. With no warning, she swabbed the wound over with a damp rag. Aiden’s face contorted, and he hissed a curse through his teeth. “Geez, give me a warning next time. Please.”

“Sorry.” She winced slightly, hands moving over the cut quickly and firmly. 

It hurt more than he would’ve thought, and he grimaced as he watched her. Aiden’s head tilted slightly as a lock of brown hair fell into her face. She hadn’t put her red clip in yet. His fingers twitched in an urge to reach down and tuck the hair behind her ear. 

He was broken from the thought when Jesse pressed on a particularly tender spot, causing his leg to tremble and shift away from her touch. 

Exasperated, she paused, looked up, and said, “Hold still.” Their eyes met, seemingly for an eternity. 

Then he realized he hadn’t responded. 

Feeling awkward, Aiden remained silent and glanced away, cheeks burning. Jesse continued, now sticking the bandage on. 

“All done,” she said and stood up. He slid off of the stool.

“Thank you,” he said. 

“No problem.” Jesse tossed his apple from the counter to him. “Now hurry up, you slow poke, or else you’ll be late,” she said, teasingly. 

He caught it after some fumbling and grinned. “I’m going, I’m going. Thanks Jesse, and see you.”

“Bye.”

Shrugging on his plain black jacket that he’d tossed on the back of the couch, Aiden left and shut the door behind him with a kick from his foot. The apple was quickly devoured as he made his way out of the temple, its core being tossed into the nearest garbage can. Right as it hit the bottom with a ‘clunk’, he heard his name called. 

In the midst of wiping juice off of his chin, in the middle of the street, he spun around. Then tensed. 

Lukas. 

Aiden shoved his hands into his jean’s pockets, watching as the blond jogged towards him. “What’s up?” Aiden asked, his tone forcibly casual.

Lukas stopped in front of him and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not much.” He cleared his throat. “Look . . .”

Aiden rocked back on his heels, smothering a smirk as Lukas trailed off. One didn’t get to see this lack of confidence often.

Lukas finished. “Thanks for the flowers.”

Oh. 

Well, he was _not_ expecting that. 

His eyebrows involuntarily shot up. Lukas frowned and said, “What’s that look for? They’re nice.”

Aiden chuckled, then pressed his lips into a thin line. “Nothing, nothing - you’re welcome.”

Lukas shifted, blue eyes rolling. It looked like he didn’t know what to do with his hands. Or his body in general. And he wasn’t leaving. 

Aiden kept his hands in his pockets. “Uh, anything else?”

Lukas nodded. “Yeah, actually. How are they?”

“Who?”

“Maya and Gill.”

Aiden stilled. Memories of the pair griping of how Lukas never spared a second thought about them flashed through his mind. Of himself agreeing. Of how he’d planted and spurred on those complaints in the first place, certain that Lukas, after all their years of friendship, had left them behind without a second glance. 

Ignoring the unpleasant twist in his gut, Aiden’s feet shifted. “Um, last time I saw them, great. At first, Maya was pretty down on it all, but Gill was good at cheering her up. We all finished our service sentence for the community, and then made a home for ourselves. I eventually came back here, obviously, but they wanted to stay - for now.”

Lukas nodded, silent for a moment. Then, “Good. See you around, Aiden.”

Aiden silently lifted one hand in a half wave, watching as he left in the direction of the Order’s hall. 

He shook his head as he turned around to walk down the street. Oh, how things had changed. He had been (always inwardly) desperate in the past for Lukas to show an inkling of remorse for abandoning their group. 

(“Abandoning” was a stretch. Back then, both boys could equally be blamed for the friendship ‘break up’.)

Now, with their completely different paths, here he was with nothing but regrets and Jesse’s friendship and _his_ accepted apology from Lukas. 

Even if the apology should’ve been reversed, dwelling on it too much would simply cause more anger and frustration to well up. Aiden exhaled, tilting his head back and letting it go with the breeze. As long as he looked at it the right way, things were looking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys bunches for the support you've shown this, I really appreciate it!♡♡♡


	9. Nightmares

Aiden squinted at the paper, then quickly wrote another sentence down. He sat at the desk in “his” room, solely accompanied by darkness, a lamp, and his writing.

Sure, it was past midnight and, yeah, _maybe_ he should have been in bed so he wouldn’t be like a zombie the next day, but when a burst of creativity for writing hits, it hits.

Thunder shook the building, and lightning lit the curtains shrouding the windows, where rain pattered the roof above. Tomorrow(technically today) was the day he moved into the house he had built; he was thankful, with the rain, that his roof had been completed. 

“Perfect,” Aiden whispered as he jotted down the lengthening shadow of the creeping murderer, who was cloaked by the darkness of the storm, and-

Someone screamed.

Aiden nearly jumped out of his skin, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. He cursed as he brought himself back to reality, seeing ink blots spread onto his manuscript from his startle. Setting the pen down, his eyes widened. 

What had happened to Jesse? 

Quickly scraping the chair back, Aiden, dressed in a shirt and baggy shorts, jogged from his room to hers, taking care to not slide on the tiled hallway in his socks. 

He hesitated before her bedroom door. Of all places, why did it have to be Jesse’s bedroom?

He shook his fear off. Surely privacy could be set aside for one moment if she was in danger. He softly knocked with two knuckles. No response.

Taking a deep breath, Aiden pushed the door open. He found a lamp set near the door and clicked it on, allowing some light into the dark room. 

“Jesse? I heard you and . . .”

The words died in his throat. No danger was present, but the sight that greeted him made his heart clench. 

Jesse sat against her headboard, knees pulled up to her chest, feet in a tangle of sheets, and head buried in her arms that rested on her knees. Soft cries sounded. 

She didn’t acknowledge his presence. Until he stood next to her. Rested a hand on her shaking shoulder. 

She looked up. 

Illuminated by the dim light, her brown eyes were a muddy pool of anguish and fear. Tears messily ran down her cheeks, and hair stuck to her skin. Jesse just stared at him, piercing him with a multitude of emotions; he was stunned.

He took his hand off of her shoulder and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “I just wanted to check if you were okay.” And she clearly wasn’t. Silence fell, leaving Aiden wallowing in his doubts. Was she upset that he was there? Should he leave? Stay?

Jesse finally shattered it with a hiccup. Then said something so soft, Aiden strained to hear over a roll of thunder. He asked her to repeat herself, and she looked down as she shakily said, “Can you . . . can you stay tonight? With me?” 

A flush fought its way up Aiden’s neck. He shook himself out of his stupor and nodded quickly, edging his way onto the large bed. She scooted over to make room, her crying fading away. 

“Nightmares?” he asked once he reclined against the headboard, adjusting his weight. 

Jesse nodded and hiccuped. Her head rested on his shoulder.

Aiden fought the urge to stare at her like a gaping fish. He instead settled for freezing and not moving a muscle, his gaze darting to watch her.

Once he finally got over the fact that he was sitting in Jesse’s bed and remembered that she _wanted_ him there, he put his arm around her shoulder and gently squeezed. She melted into his touch, settling her back against his chest. 

“I’m sorry,” Aiden whispered. 

“Don’t be,” she sighed. 

Her puffy eyes drooped, then opened as lightning struck and shone through the curtains. With a shiver from her thin frame, he gently tightened his grip on her shoulders and pulled her closer as he himself moved further into the sheets.

Jesse’s eyelids slipped shut again and he could feel her relax. Aiden waited for her breathing to even out before he closed his eyes. It was nearly a forced action when he was hyperaware of every brush of her skin on his, of their clothing intertwined with the sheets - it left most every muscle in his body alight. 

But, soon and surprisingly enough, he was carried to sleep, leaving a mess of tangled limbs and unspoken worries until the morning. 

•

Jesse didn’t need an alarm clock; the sun that filtered through the curtains and her body’s natural awakening schedule was enough to wake her up. 

Today, however, was different. 

As she stirred, she was aware of an unusual warmth. Maybe she’d slept with another blanket? Whatever it was, she wanted to curl into it and sleep longer.

Jesse reluctantly opened her eyes, which were encrusted from sleep. When she reached to rub them, she found she couldn’t. 

Because her arm was wrapped around a torso. 

All sleep flew out of the window, and her eyes snapped open, blinking rapidly to see clearly. 

Aiden’s chest, rising and falling slowly and clothed by a shirt, met her wide, brown eyes. 

Jesse’s arms were wrapped around him as she laid on her right side, and her left leg was flung over his legs. He faced her, arms similarly wrapped around her midriff. 

Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest; she was afraid it was loud enough to wake Aiden. Thinking it might’ve been a dream, she squeezed her eyes shut and reopened them. 

Still there. 

She exhaled through her nose, a blush creeping on her cheeks. She was at a complete loss of how to break this intimate position. Plus, she was terrified of Aiden waking up to find her like this, to face him after the state he’d seen her in the night before. 

Resolving to not move a muscle, Jesse settled for watching him sleep. He was peaceful, breathing deep and even(which she felt, more than saw). At this distance, she could see light brown freckles smattered against his nose and cheeks. His brown hair was messy, falling into his closed eyes.

She wasn’t sure how much time passed before he awoke, perhaps ten minutes. 

His eyes fluttered open, green orbs searching her face, then slightly dropping down. 

A lazy, crooked grin curled onto his lips. “Morning,” he said. 

Jesse flushed, tanned cheeks red. He had aboslutely _no_ right to be smirking at her like that, only inches away. “Good morning,” she said. She began to untangle herself from him, finally creating space. She released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding as she propped herself up, and he did too, yawning all the while. 

Aiden’s head tilted as he combed his hair to the side with his fingers, but it messily fell back into his forehead. “You feeling any better from last night?” he asked. 

Jesse nodded, sitting up fully. Her hair was tangled and going every which way, but she didn’t bother to fix it. “Thank you for that. I’m sorry I . . . did this.” She motioned at him and the bed uncertainly. 

Aiden shrugged, the smirk fading. “Don’t mention it.” He intently studied her instead of leaving the bed, and she fought the urge to shift her gaze. “Do you have nightmares often?” he asked. 

Jesse nodded silently. 

“Oh.” He glanced away and began to slide off. “Do you get ever them because of me?”

Her breath hitched. He now stood, awaiting her answer. 

She shivered as she remembered how she’d dreamt of that battle on the ledge. How the rain soaked them. How their swords met. And that push into the supposed void. 

“I used to,” Jesse softly said. Aiden visibly stiffened. “But not anymore,” she continued. Her shoulders rose and fell; she didn’t know what else to say. 

He nodded slowly, jaw clenching. After a long moment, Aiden began to walk away. Pausing at her door, he looked over his shoulder. “I just want you to know - if you ever need me like that again, or to talk about them, I’ll be there, like you’ve been for me.”

“Okay,” she whispered. 

Then Aiden left. 

And left Jesse more flustered and more confused of her emotions than she’d ever been in a single morning.


	10. Distance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I am _so_ sorry for the late update. I was taking a break to work on a few other things, and it took longer than I thought. I'm also sorry for this chapter, because it turned out to be a little all over the place.  
> Despite all that, I'm glad to be back to writing these dorks! Thank you for reading!

The sun was setting, bringing the death of the day with a blaze of glory. 

Aiden was lounging in his newly built home. Built from various types of wood, it was simple and small. The furnishings were uncomplicated, though some may have called them homey. He was satisfied with it, knowing that he could always expand on later date.

Out of one of the front windows, which gave him a view of the landscape, he saw someone walking down the pathway, towards the house. Jesse.

He sprung up and hurried to the door just in time to open it for her, and she smiled up at him. 

“Jesse, hey! What’re you doing here?” Nearly forgetting himself, Aiden stepped aside and motioned for her to come in. She obliged, and he shut the door, blocking out the chilly wind. 

She greeted him and said, “I wanted to help you move in yesterday, but like I said, I was busy. So I thought I’d drop by.” 

“Thanks!” 

Jesse paused, glancing at him with narrowed eyes. “You seem extra happy tonight. What happened?”

At any other time, Aiden may have been slightly offended. But his green eyes shone. “Guess.” 

“I give up. What?”

“I got a job! One of the guys in the reconstruction group thought my building was good, and he remembered me too.” When Jesse’s eyes widened uncertainly, he shook his head. “Not like that. I mean from all of my building background in the competitions. And he asked me to work for him!” By now, Aiden was smiling from ear to ear. 

He startled as he felt arms wrap around his waist; Jesse was hugging him. 

Deciding to ignore the sudden erratic pace of his heart, he returned the embrace. Caught up in his joy, he lifted her so her feet were off of the floor and spun her around in one circle. 

Ears burning red, Aiden barely registered her soft laugh as he placed her down and took a step back. Before he could apologize, she grinned up at him, mimicking his previous smile. “That’s awesome! When do you start?” 

“In two days.” Aiden forced himself to glance away and gesture to the couch, indicating she could sit. She did, and he sat in a chair opposite of her. She began to shift this way and that and crane her neck, taking in the surroundings.

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Jesse said. 

“Who wouldn’t?” 

“Hilarious. Just because your team beat us so many times at Endercon doesn’t mean anything.”

Aiden rolled his eyes, though not in annoyance. “My point exactly.”

Jesse pointed at him, eyes narrowing. “We won the last year. So take that.”

A corner of his lips tugged into a small smirk. “And I don’t see how that makes our building skills equal.” 

She grinned. “Shut up.”

Aiden cleared his throat, eager to change to subject so he wouldn’t have to reflect any longer on his inappropriate actions that fateful day. He sat forward. “Enough about me. How’re you doing?” 

His energy must have thrown Jesse off, because she blinked owlishly at him. “Me? I’m-” 

“Fine” seemed ready to tumble from her lips, but she hesitated. Then sighed. 

“Tired,” she finished. She pressed her fingers to her temples and briefly closed her eyes. 

Aiden tilted his head to the side, the smile fading. “What happened?” 

“Nothing specific.” She pursed her lips and struggled to meet his gaze. “It’s just that work’s been kicking me in the ass lately. There’s this argument over a piece of land, and then there’s a leader from another city who keeps contacting me. And the paperwork. Don’t even get me started on the paperwork.” She groaned and let her head fall back.

Aiden’s brows furrowed. “Sorry. Anything I can do to help?” 

Jesse shook her head and looked at him. “Thanks, but no.” A beat, then, “Actually, can I crash here?” 

“ _What?_ ”

She chuckled at his wide eyes and repeated the question. She dramatically added with a tiny smile, “The walk to your house is too long for a worn out adventurer like me.”

Aiden cleared his throat. “Definitely, sorry. I didn’t think about that. Uh, where-”

She answered his question before he could voice it. “I’ll take the couch. I’d sleep on the floor at this point.” 

“You sure? I’m fine if you take the bed. It’s more comfortable.” he said.

”Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay. Did you eat supper?” He was on his way to a chest, in search of a pillow and blankets. 

“I had a little bit.”

Aiden glanced over his shoulder. “Sounds like a no to me. I’ll make you something.” 

•

Aiden stretched and walked down the main street, muscles sore and satisfied. His first day on the job, and it couldn’t have gone better. 

Then he saw blond hair flash in his vision. 

He paused midstep. Lukas. Aiden had been tossing the idea of visiting his old friend around in his mind in hopes that the outcome would be better; and now was the perfect opportunity to say hi. But, his conscious was practically at war, to approach him or to keep walking or-

And Aiden’s feet were heading straight towards him. 

Accepting defeat, he forced an awkward smile right as Lukas turned from the booth. “Hey.”

“Oh - hi.” 

They both stood still, staring at each other. Unsure what to do. 

Aiden glanced at the booth Lukas had just been at. “Ink, huh?” Immediately, he inwardly cringed, and his thumbpad absentmindedly traced the side of his forefinger. 

Lukas let out a strained chuckle. “Yeah. I need it for writing.” 

Aiden, mentally pulling himself together and through the tangible awkward atmosphere, straightened his shoulders. “Do you mind if I tag along with you, if you’re not busy?” 

After an excruciating moment passed in silence, Lukas nodded, eyebrows raising. “Yeah, sure. Actually, I’ve got one more stop.”

Feeling a tad more relaxed, the two began to walk. Aiden chose to look at the pathway rather than Lukas and said, “I really liked your book.” 

“Really?” Lukas said. Aiden turned his head to see Lukas watching him, a trace of a smile evident. “Thanks.” 

They got in line for a stand. Aiden craned his neck to look for the sign, which read “Pumpkin Bread”. As if on cue, his stomach growled. 

Lukas was digging through his pockets when he asked, “Want one?” 

Aiden blinked. “No, I didn’t bring money - it’s fine.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied. It was their turn, and Lukas pressed the coins into the vendor’s palm before Aiden could argue. In exchange, she handed two wrapped loaves to them with a smile. 

The scent of cinnamon, memories, pumpkin, and warmth twisted up. Aiden clasped it in his hands and followed as Lukas headed to a bench, murmuring his thanks. 

They unwrapped the food in silence, savoring each mouthwatering bite. Aiden swallowed and turned to Lukas and said, “This is kind of random, but I’m working on some writing too. If you ever needed someone to proofread yours, I’m cool with it.”

Lukas nodded and shifted. "I might take you up on that. And if you need help on yours, I might have some pointers.”

Aiden fist-pumped his victory inwardly, then perked up as a parrot flitted across the sky. “Remember that one day with the bread?” 

Pumpkin bread had been the Ocelot’s favorite snack on any occasion. Lukas glanced to the side at him, saying, “Yeah. When Maya and Gill were fighting over the last loaf of it-”

Aiden continued his sentence, smiling. “And Maya was holding it above her head and they got into such a big argument in the middle of the street-”

Both were smiling now. “And a bird swooped down and snatched it from her.”

Aiden began to laugh and said, “Then Gill got so mad he took after the bird.” 

Lukas chuckled. Then he took one glance at Aiden and dissolved into more laughter, hardly able to say, “And he slipped in its own poop. Fell on his face, right in front of everyone.” 

Ignoring the strange looks from passerbys, the pair finally came down from the gleeful high, taking back to their bread. 

Lukas sighed. “I miss that.” 

Aiden’s eyebrows rose. Lukas was watching his food, blue eyes distant. 

Distant. That’s what it was -- the hilarity only they could ever understand, the moments that made their stomachs hurt from laughter, finishing one another’s sentences -- wasn’t it?

“Me too, Lukas. Me too.” 

•

Jesse ran her fingers through the ocelot’s silky fur. A purr rumbled from Dewey’s chest, and she smiled at him, then up at Lukas. The hours of drunkenness and nightmares with Aiden were left in the week prior; she and Lukas were taking a quick walk outside of Beacontown. 

After the Admin was defeated, she and Lukas had mutually agreed to meet several times a week(despite their busy schedules) to simply talk or be with each other. The reason being was that after the Admin had posed as Jesse, a gap had splintered their friendship. It broke her heart to see Lukas uneasy in any sense around her, but she felt that these visits were mending the divide.

Lukas smiled back. “Dewey found some parrots on the way here.” He chuckled and looked down at his pet. “They got away. Barely.” Dewey raised his head and huffed proudly. 

Jesse laughed, then jokingly said, “I’m telling you, he’s a threat to society. _So_ terrifying.” 

Lukas hummed. “Speaking of threats . . . Aiden’s finally out of the house?” 

Jesse frowned. “He’s not a threat.” 

He raised his hands defensively. “I’m kidding. Kind of.” His head cocked to the side. “So you trust him now?” 

Enough to let him sleep in her bed when her guard was down? “Yes.” Warmth bloomed on her cheeks at the recent memory, and she cleared her throat. 

Lukas squinted and slightly leaned over and said, “Oh my God.”

”What?” 

”You _like_ him.” 

Her eyes widened. “What?” 

“I said,” he emphasized each word, “ _you like him_.” 

Jesse coughed, cheeks warm. She had no idea how to respond to that. 

Did she? Even if she _did_ , what would Aiden think? 

“Er, yeah. He’s actually a good friend.” Of the two weeks she’d known him - the changed him. 

Lukas rolled his eyes in amusement. “Sure. See, Dewey know what I’m talking about.” 

The ocelot trotting between them reached up and nuzzled the palm of her hand, emitting some sort of gurgling noise. Now it was Jesse’s turn to roll her eyes. 

She watched as Dewey sniffed the air and padded to the side of the path to hunt down the butterflies fluttering about in the grass. “Say I did,” she said, “Since when were you interested in my romantic life?” 

Lukas also focused on Dewey with a little smirk, hands pushing into his jacket’s pockets. “I can care. Both of you are my friends, so-” 

He stopped, face twisting as he realized the words that had left his mouth. 

Jesse sighed, a crease between her brows forming. “Lukas, if you give him a chance, you might-” 

“I’m trying, Jesse. I really am.”

•

Ignoring Jesse’s protests, minutes ticked by as Aiden bustled about, preparing the makeshift bed and the food. 

Night had fallen, which left the lamps to warmly illuminate the space. With thanks, Jesse reluctantly ate. Aiden kept her company, his eyes softening as she began to nod off in the middle of their conversation. In a lull of their talk, her chin and eyelids drooped down.

He stood up as quietly as he could and maneuvered to stand beside the couch. “Jesse.” 

“Hm?” Her chin slowly rose, eyes still shut. 

“You gotta lie down. Otherwise your neck’ll hurt tomorrow.” 

She followed his urging without question and shifted her weight to let her head flop on the pillow. She snuggled deep into the couch and the corners of her mouth barely rose. “Thanks Aiden.” The words were slurred at best, but they tugged at his heart like nothing else. 

He reached down and tucked the blanket over her shoulders and, after a brief hesitation, a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear. 

“Sweet dreams, Jesse,” he whispered.


	11. Smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly edited on 12/3/19.
> 
> My finger slipped-

Three more weeks had passed. 

Aiden and Jesse had been spending more time together, and she eventually brought up the idea of him becoming acquainted with her friends that were in town. 

First up was Jack and Nurm. 

For a moment -- just a moment -- Jack had scared Aiden. 

Then Aiden had to hide a smile as the man went on about his bizarre adventures after they were introduced. The shop’s environment was relaxed; Jesse had told Aiden that the pair had no knowledge of his background(and, according to her, they had no reason too), which he was immensely grateful for. 

Aiden floated down the aisles as he admired the different treasures, and he stopped at an encased, rusty emerald. His brow furrowed as he examined it, and he startled as Jack said over his shoulder, “You know where that came from?”

He spun to look at him. “No, si- I mean, no, I don’t. Why?”

Jack barked out a short laugh. “You haven’t been out on a real adventure then, have you? That emerald came from the ancient village within the forest just by Beacontown. Nurm and I were one of the first to discover it, and many have explored it since. Quite the find, if I do say so myself.” His chest puffed.

“Interesting. I haven’t heard of it until now,” Aiden said. 

He saw Jesse smile in his peripheral vision as Jack said, “Then let’s meet up here this weekend - Me and Nurm are going out there for another trip.” Nurm voiced his agreement.

Though it wasn’t a question, Aiden smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Sure thing.”

The next meeting was different. Radar’s.

“Different” was an understatement; it went horribly. 

This time, he knew of Aiden’s past. Jesse had told Aiden that if she didn’t tell him, Radar was smart enough to eventually piece it together - therefore it was to everyone’s best interest that he understood from the beginning. The explanation between Jesse and Radar had also been done privately, to Aiden’s relief.

And when Aiden stepped into the room, Radar was shaking like a leaf. 

Aiden smiled, shook his hand, kept his distance, done everything he could to make Radar feel at ease as Jesse made introductions and they exchanged pleasantries. 

Jesse had warned that Radar was wound up at most times, and that she wasn’t sure what his reaction to Aiden(in other words, an ex-almost murderer) would be; but Aiden wasn’t prepared for it. Prepared for the multiple glances his way when Radar thought he wasn’t looking as Jesse chattered on, the tremor that ran through his body at their handshake, and the tight, forced smiles. 

Not even five minutes later, and Radar made an excuse to leave the room. Something was supposedly happening in the town square. 

Aiden’s shoulders fell forward, his throat tightening as the boy scurried out. He didn’t even look up as Jesse took ahold of his hand and gave it a squeeze before he could begin fidgeting. 

Neither let go. 

Jesse sighed. “I’m sorry. Radar’s just a little anxious about meeting you for the first time, but I promise he’ll come around. Don’t worry about it.”

Aiden glanced up sharply, and Jesse flinched. “How,” he said, voice cracking, “How do you know that?”

Jesse’s lips parted, but he pressed on, anger suddenly rising(towards himself, more than anything else). “I’m not talking about Radar - I get it. But what I don’t get is how I can’t worry. Worry how whenever _anyone_ looks at me, all they see are my screwups. Which aren’t going to disappear by _you_ wishing them away.” Her features broke for a second, but softened as he said, voice trembling, “And they won’t. Which is what I deserve, not . . . this.” He motioned to nothing, to her with his free hand, then dragged it down his face. He wasn’t sure what he was saying, and he knew it didn’t make sense, but simply talking with Jesse was a balm to all of the bottled up frustration. It was something he wasn’t accustomed to doing, talking, yet here she was. 

Before he knew it, Jesse’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and in return, he clung to her like she was his lifeline. He found the lump in his throat fading as he let his cheek rest against her smooth hair. “If I say it’ll be okay,” she whispered against his shirt, “it will be. Promise.” 

•

“How’d it go with Jack and Nurm?” 

Aiden’s head rose at Jesse’s question. The meetings and weekend had passed, and he had managed to convince her to let him help with the mounds of paperwork she had piled in her workspace. After donning a black sweatshirt to protect himself against the autumn chill, he made his way over for the evening. During the walk, he picked a handful of orchids, which he had recently found out to be Jesse’s favorite. She accepted them with a huge smile and thanks, placing the blue flowers in a vase and on an empty corner of her paper-covered desk. Then she instructed Aiden to sort through the papers on the opposite side of the room and determine which ones did or did not yet have a signature on the bottom of it. 

“Great,” Aiden said. He tapped a few papers into place and set them down. He smiled. “Jack was pretty determined on getting me to know the surrounding areas too. I learned a lot, even though we ran into a bit of monster trouble.” 

He could hear Jesse’s pen scratching. “What’s that smile for?” she asked. 

He turned his head, but her back was to him. His smile remained as he recalled saving the adventurer from a spider. “Just thinking how his bark is worse than his bite. But he’s still a cool guy.” 

“That’s Jack for you,” she said with a chuckle. With a sigh, she pushed her chair back, stood, and stretched, arms above her head and hands clasped together. Aiden, realizing he was staring, quickly averted his eyes. 

Jesse maneuvered to the aisle where he stood and walked towards him, heading for the door(he assumed to get a refill of coffee or water). As she walked, she said, “Oh, yeah - I was wanting to say-” She stopped as her foot caught on the edge of the thick rug. 

Aiden wasn’t sure how it happened, but he caught her before she fell, with his hands gripping her shoulders and her hands pressing flat against his chest. 

They stared at each other, both blushing. Then, like a spell was broken, they sprung apart. “Thanks,” she murmured as she got her feet beneath her. He awkwardly patted the top of her shoulders and dropped his arms. 

Jesse continued, smiling up at him. “Anyways . . . I wanted to say, I like y-”

“I like you too.” It was out of Aiden’s mouth before he could even think.

“Oh my God,” she said. She stared at him, eyes wide. 

Then she began to laugh. 

Aiden’s stomach dropped a hundred stories. 

Jesse straightened and shook her head, her laughter dying. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just, I was going to say that I like your sweatshirt, but-”

He cut her off with a groan, fists clenching. “Damn it. I’m sorry, Jesse. I don’t want to ruin our friendship-”

“Aiden.”

He was unable to look at her, and he was positive that his face was burning. “It’s just, you’re really beautiful, and so kind, and-”

“Aiden.” This time, he paused, and she asked, “Can I kiss you?”

All thoughts screeched to a halt. He nodded.

She put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him down to her level.

Their lips met.

When a few seconds passed, Jesse pulled back, though not too far. She softly laughed, like ringing bells, and said, “What I’m trying to say is I like you too. You sure this okay?”

He nodded as every muscle in his body went slack with relief, and his eyes slipped shut when he leaned back down. His pulse hammered in his ears, and if his face wasn’t scarlet before, it certainly was now. His hand drifted to the back of her neck, and their noses brushed. 

A moment passed, and they broke apart. Aiden exhaled, his eyes searching hers as his skin tingled with warmth. 

She grinned up at him, and, for what seemed to be the millionth time, he felt his heart melt. “Well, I’m certainly glad you wore this sweatshirt,” she said and loosely tugged at the material on his shoulders. “Made things a little easier.”

Aiden returned her smile with one of his own. “Not for me. Be glad I didn’t pass out from embarrassment right then and there.” She simply snorted and reached up and poked a finger to his cheek. When he shied away and raised a brow, she brushed past him, saying, “You should keep smiling. You look mad when you aren’t.” 

“I _what_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been worrying over dragging it out or being too quick for writing this part, but we're here now and all is well, haha. Have a great day!


	12. Ripples

To Jesse’s relief, not much had changed between her and Aiden since the kiss.

Okay, maybe there were _tiny_ differences as a few days passed. Maybe she had finally caught the little glances Aiden sent her way when he thought she wasn’t looking. Maybe she would return them with one of her own or a wink, resulting in a little stammer or blush, much to her delight. Maybe she caught anxiety bubbling up from him(or her) for no apparent reason, which she would try to smooth down with an easier mood. 

They still spent time together, which led to this moment: them sitting in Aiden’s living space in silence, the sun beginning its descent on a Saturday evening. His scratching pen created a nice background rhythm, and Jesse’s nose was buried in a book. 

That’s why she startled when Aiden’s voice broke the silence.

“Let’s go out.” 

Jesse raised her head. “Hm? Why?” 

He held her gaze, unblinking. “I want to take you somewhere.” 

She shifted on the cushion. “Like a date? That’s sweet. But you were the one who practically forced this book on me.” She smiled down at its pages. After Aiden found out that she hadn’t read a book in a long while and had loved to read(a habit broken by her crazy life), he became enthusiastic in finding time and a book for her. 

Aiden shrugged. “You can read it some other time. Unless you want to spend the night here.” He winked, a smirk tugging on one corner of his lips. When she faltered and her skin grew hot, he quickly added, “Kidding.” 

She cleared her throat and propped herself forward. “Okay then. Where to? Doesn’t matter to me.” 

Aiden tapped a curved finger to his chin. “The park?” His eyes brightened. “I have some bread, so we can feed the ducks. If that’s okay, of course.”

Jesse smiled. “Sure thing.” 

And so they were headed to Beacontown. Aiden surprised her(pleasantly) by intertwining their fingers on the way. Silence passed naturally, but Jesse broke it eventually as they passed through Beacontown’s main gates. “So you like monsters, huh?” When his face went blank, she added, “Blazerods?” 

Aiden laughed, but it was dull. “I don’t _like_ monsters, but they’re sort of cool when they aren’t trying to kill you. But yeah, I always wanted our group back then to be named Blazerods - our group name was the one thing Lukas and I disagreed like crazy on. Have you even seen his ocelot, Dewey? He’s obsessed with those things.”

Jesse hummed in agreement. Aiden glanced at her and said, “Anyways, I still think Blazerods is _way_ better than the Order of the Pigs.”

She snorted, shaking her head. “Hey, it was creative. Ish.”

His mouth opened to say something, but Jesse stopped in her tracks. “Wait,” she said, and he backed up several steps to stand beside her, their hands now separated. “You know Lukas has an ocelot?” They had just entered the park, and her voice, which had slightly risen in pitch, drew a few glances from others in the vicinity, strolling among the paths lined with trees.

Aiden blinked. Then sheepishly grinned. “Yeah?” he said. “We’ve been around each other a little - Lukas and me, that is. We kind of got things figured out. It’s not a big deal.” 

Jesse, incredulous, simply shook her head. “I can’t believe it.” Her eyes strayed to his neck as he reached up to rub it. Ridiculous - he was even starting to act like Lukas. They started to walk, feet leading them to the bridge extending over the pond that reflected the dim sun. She continued. “It’s a pretty big deal if you ask me. Why didn’t either of you tell me?”

Aiden smiled again, and something warm bloomed in her at the sight, to see him genuinely happy. “Okay, it is a big deal. You happy?”

“More like mad! You guys should’ve told me.” Her lips formed a fake pout. He shrugged, reached into his jacket, and pulled out the bag of bread, offering it to her in a form of surrender. She accepted it with a little huff and leaned on the bridge’s railing, elbows digging into the wood. “Still, that’s awesome. I’m happy for you.” 

“Thanks,” he softly said. He copied her position and watched her tear off a piece of bread and tossed it down. Watery ripples spiraled out, and several ducks quickly paddled over, their quacks joining nature’s din. Two got in a fight over it, but broke up as she tossed another down. He said, “The work you’ve done for Beacontown is incredible.” 

Jesse hummed, stress-filled memories of the clamoring petitions and disagreements for the park that they stood in to be built, but she pushed it away. “Thanks. But it’s definitely not me who did this and made it possible. It’s the people - they’re the awesome ones.” She rested her chin in her hand and kept her eyes on the ducks and their ruffled, yet shining, feathers, but she sensed his gaze on her.

After a pause, he said, “Don’t forget that you’re awesome too.” He nudged her shoulder. 

She smiled and also paused, then said, “Careful. You’ll give me a big head.”

“Like you don’t have one already.” 

She rolled her eyes, and he quickly added, “Kidding.” 

“I know,” she said. An orange leaf drifted down to land on the water. “Thanks though.”

They settled into silence, and it continued like that for the rest of the evening: feeding the joyous ducks, enjoying each other’s company, and watching the world around them keep on spinning.


	13. Bruises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick notice that I'll probably delete later: I slightly edited the kiss scene in chapter 11.  
> I'm sorry this took forever to post - this chapter was a little stubborn for me and took a bit of time, but I'm happy to have finished it! Random Aiden and Lukas scene at the end and all. :)  
> And I hope you all have been having a good fall. If I don't post before the year ends, have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

A knock sounded. 

Jesse hummed to herself, a small skip in her step as she made her way to the door that separated her living quarters from the rest of the building. She tucked her hair behind her ears, which was freshly combed and still damp. 

She opened it to, as expected, Aiden. 

But what she hadn’t expected were the bruises that bloomed on his cheek and collarbone, the ugly shade of blue and purple disappearing into his shirt’s neckline. 

Her mouth dropped open in a silent gasp as she ushered him in. He attempted to give a smile, but ended up grimacing and rubbing his jaw.

Jesse cut off his greeting by saying, “What _happened_? You look like you went through ten zombies to get here.” 

Aiden laughed. “It can wait. Let’s just go, okay? I’m not trying to ruin this.” 

“This” by being a date. Aiden had asked for her to go out to dinner with him, and she accepted. So, here he stood, handsome as ever, but with extra color adorning his pale skin. Jesse crossed her arms and leveled him with a stare, a silent demand that he answer her question. 

He cleared his throat. “Okay, fine, I’ll tell you. But I’m okay, promise.

“There’s this guy in the reconstruction group. Sort of a jerk to begin with. A group of us were working this morning and he just starts bad-mouthing Beacontown, our group, and the work we’ve done.” His eyes shifted. “I kind of got in an argument with him, because the rest of us were fed up with it.” 

Jesse managed a small smile. “Kind of?” 

“Fine, we _did_. I let my temper get the best of me.” He tugged his already-raw lower lip in. “And we fought. Got broken up by the others.” 

“Are you okay?” she softly asked. 

He crossed his arms. “Yeah.” It came out wavery. “Maybe not. I don’t know. Aren’t you mad?”

She frowned. “Mad? Why would I be mad?” 

Aiden shrugged. “I dunno. It was something so stupid, and I just didn’t think, and then I used violence again. Felt like what I did to you.” 

Jesse’s lips parted to speak, but she faltered as his eyes glassed over. He turned, pressing a hand to his mouth, muttering a curse as a tear trailed down his cheek. 

“Oh, Aiden, no.” She stepped forward, suddenly unsure of what to do. “You’re fine.”

He swallowed hard, hands coming up to cover his face. She reached up and gently touched his wrists, and he let one of his hands fall away to hold hers. “You can cry, you know,” she said. 

He gave a half-laugh, half-sob as he finally met her gaze and wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. “I don’t usually cry in front of people,” he managed out, then proceeded to openly cry. “I don’t even know why I am right now, it’s just-”

Softly, Jesse asked, “Do you want a hug?” He responded by stretching his free arm out, so she stepped forward and hugged him. He was quick to return it, burying his face into her hair. 

Finally, Aiden pulled back and let go of her hand, sniffing loudly. “Sorry,” he muttered, ducking his head.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I get it, you screwed up a little. But look how far you’ve come! You’re going to mess up eventually. I do too.” 

An argument teetered on the tip of his tongue, but instead he paused and softly said, “Okay. Thanks.” 

Silently, Jesse wondered how many times this had happened in the time he’d been here. Now that she thought about it, she’d seen a few bruises and cuts on him; she’d asked about it once, but he dismissed it with some excuse. But, if he had only now chosen to tell her and hide the rest of the instances, she decided to keep these thoughts to herself.

She asked, “You want to ditch the plans for tonight and hang out here instead? Being around other people might not be too fun.”

The corners of Aiden’s mouth rose into a tiny smile. “That would be great, actually.” 

And so that’s how they stayed indoors and read to each other(Aiden’s idea, but one Jesse was more than happy to do). 

About ten minutes later, Jesse paused after she flipped a page. “Hey, Aiden?”

“What’s up?” He shifted on the couch beside her.  
She kept silent, thinking over her choice of words as a ball of tension knotted in her stomach. “I was going to talk to you before, but I kind of put it off because I’m not sure how to say it. But how do you want this to go?” 

He hesitated, but seemed to understand. “You mean our relationship, right?” 

“Yeah. If we had gone out tonight, I’d have warned you about this. I guess I’m scared that once whatever we have becomes public, everyone will look really close at you, and I don’t know if you’re okay with that.” 

She was going to continue, but Aiden asked with a grin, “You want a relationship with me?”

Not able to hide her smile, she lightly smacked him on the shoulder. “Yeah, you idiot, I do.”

“Aw. Guess I’m not a terrible kisser after all.” His eyebrows wiggled ridiculously high.

She giggled. “You’re getting off subject.” 

“Right, sorry.” He straightened up and met her gaze, his smile fading away just as quickly as it had come. “So what you’re saying is, you don’t want to be seen with me in public as more than friends. Because people will realize we’re together, they’ll look into me, maybe see my past, then freak out. Right?” To add to the sting of his words, his eyes flashed with hurt.

Jesse bristled, ready to protest, then went lax. “Actually, yeah, you did. But just for now, at least.” She sighed. “God, this sounds bad.” 

He reached out, took her hand, and lightly squeezed it. “I’ll do whatever you want to do. This is new to me, and I don’t want to . . . screw things up, I guess.” Then he lightly laughed, side-eyeing her and letting the back of his head hit the couch cushion. “But . . . after what I did today? Between us, let’s just take it slow, see how it goes. Then we can worry about the public.” 

She watched him, focusing on the warmth of his hand and the sparkle in his eyes. Then she nodded and looked back at the book with a smile.

•

A knock sounded.

Ivor stood before Jesse. 

Jesse was quick to envelop him in a hug, and he returned it. She pulled back and looked him over, hands on his shoulders. “Ivor! I didn’t think you’d be back so soon!” 

He chuckled. “It’s good to see you too. And I brought a friend.” 

Just then, Jesse caught sight of Ellegaard, who stepped forward and slightly bowed her head in greeting. “Hello, Jesse.” 

“Ellegaard! It’s so good to see you.” 

She gave a warm smile. “Likewise.” 

Another hug was exchanged, and Jesse welcomed them in and offered them seats. Ivor explained that they’d let themselves in to search for her in the upper levels, which was understandable, since she was currently on her break and Radar had went to run an errand and would be back later(really, Jesse was mostly surprised that Ivor had used the conventional way inside instead of scaring her half to death). She found that Gabriel and Harper were also back in town, but they were both helping a citizen with escaped sheep and would drop by once they were finished. 

Just as she was about to ask about Soren, Ivor hissed something unintelligible and sprung up from the couch and, in a flash, was behind her. Then, he had Aiden in a headlock. “I’ve got the intruder, Jesse! Any last words?”

“Ivor, wait, that’s Aiden - he’s a friend now!” 

Ivor, skeptical, simply tightened his hold. “He could have _made_ you say that,” he said. Aiden’s face was now mottled red, and he mouthed something that looked like “please”. 

“I’m serious.” She stood up. “He’s changed since you last saw him. Let him go.”

Much to their relief, Ivor stood back, quickly returning to where he sat before. Aiden rubbed his throat, wincing. “Sorry,” Jesse whispered, motioning for him to come stand by her. 

He did, muttering, “It’s nice to see him too.” Jesse winced and turned her eyes away; for a moment there she’d forgotten that Aiden was also on his work break, and he’d dropped by to eat something and to make sure she’d eaten lunch too.

In an attempt to clear the air, she laughed, albeit awkwardly, and gestured to the pair. “Aiden, you know Ivor already. And this is Ellegaard.” 

Aiden froze, red creeping up his neck again. Out of the corner of his mouth, he whispered, “You’re kidding, right?” Jesse smiled and mouthed “nope”. 

Ellegaard chuckled. “I’ve heard of you from Ivor. I see you’re a fan.” 

Aiden shook himself out of his stupor and managed a half-smile. “Yeah,” he said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Yeah, I was. Am, I mean. Your work, and the rest of the Old Order’s, is amazing.” 

Ivor also cleared his throat. “This is all very nice, but Jesse, I’d like to talk to you a bit. Alone.” He threw a pointed glance to Ellegaard, then Aiden, who nodded and hurriedly said, “Ellegaard, ma’am, if you wouldn’t mind, could we talk about, uh, the Order as we wait?”

“That’s fine with me.” Ellegaard motioned for Aiden to follow her into a separate room. “Come get us when you’re done,” she called over her shoulder. 

Jesse watched Aiden go with a smile. When she turned her head, Ivor’s gaze was boring into her, and her smile fell. 

He started off by telling her about Soren. Ivor and Harper hadn’t been able to find him after connecting with the others, so finally they decided to come back to Beacontown so they could visit his lab to perform more research. Plus, the two of them were thinking about staying for a while until warmer weather arrived, which, admittedly, was months away, but then they’d be there for when the rest of the New Order came home, a visit in the near future that had been scheduled via letters.

Before Jesse could get a word in, he asked, “So . . . care to tell me why the punk who didn’t let us get the Eversource is _in your home_?”

So she told him. It took several minutes, even though she left certain parts out.

Ivor listened carefully, and when she was finished, he abruptly asked, “Does he know you like him?” 

“ _What_?”

“I can tell.” Ivor grinned and bounced in his seat. “This is good news! That is, as long as he hasn’t killed anyone since we last saw him. Ooh, I know - you should try this on him: lava is red, this is a serenade, here’s some bread, we should get-”

“Whoa, I’m going to stop you there.” Jesse held her hands up. “I don’t know how to say this, but we’ve already kissed.” 

Ivor’s mouth dropped open.

Then he threw a miniature tantrum, saying things like “Did he touch you without asking?” and “I’ll go kill him myself!”

“Ivor! Calm down!” She threw a glance to the room the two had disappeared into, resisting the urge to cover her burning face. “I’m okay. It was . . . mutual.” 

“Oh.” He crossed his arms, and Jesse rubbed the bridge of her nose so she could hide her smile. 

•

“Aiden.” 

Aiden glanced up to see Lukas frown at him. Bundled in jackets against the chill, they sat on the stairs of Lukas’ porch, with Aiden poring over a random book he’d found in Lukas’ overflowing bookcase while Lukas proofread a section of Aiden’s writing. 

“Yeah?” Aiden asked. 

“Do you know what the word “too” is?”

“Uh, yeah. Two,” Aiden flashed two fingers, “and to, you mean?” 

“Kinda. I mean t-o-o. The third too.” 

Lukas was met with a blank stare and silence. Then Aiden said, “What.” 

Lukas pressed his lips together and said, “It means also. And a few other things. You’ve never seen it in writing before?” When Aiden slowly shook his head, Lukas said, “You’re joking.”

“ _I’m_ not. Are you joking?” 

Lukas buried his face in his hands. “No! God, what? How do you . . . ?”

Aiden bristled. “I don’t get it - I thought to with one “o” meant those things. I don’t remember seeing that word before. It’s not a big deal.” 

Lukas burst out laughing, trying to get a response out between breaths and failing. Aiden, suddenly resentful at _whatever_ this was about, stared at him like he’d grown two heads. 

One argument and ten minutes later, Aiden finally allowed himself to be taught how to use the word.


End file.
